​The Bois, The Babes and the inBetweeners, vol. 1



For this very first fashion post, I wanted to do a trend report. Something that would tell you what's in , what's out (*cough* colour blocking *cough*), etc. Plus, new year, new beginnings, new trends, it all works, right? Nope.

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Doing that would be doing what I hate about life which is strange because as an aspiring designer/ fashion person I'm supposed to tell you what to do to yourself according to my research/ personal taste/whims. I find it pretentious: who am I to tell you that?

Well, I'm not you.

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Instead, I’ll talk about something we all do : New Year's Resolutions. We make lists, promise to keep them, get carried away and give up by Jan 21.



Some of us decided to lose huge amounts of weight in short periods of time; change our entire wardrobes or become brand new people who are totally unrelated to the "201s us". That is the main reason why we fail to achieve them.Before making those changes, I believe we must ask : who am I trying to please, what is the main reason behind this desire?

As female-bodied people / women we are constantly pressured to be a certain kind of person that has never existed outside of patriarchal fantasies. Even in queer communities this pressure still exists. Don't tell me you've never seen one of these Facebook posts about "why butches/femmes do/ act/ wear this or that" .

Perfect height, weight, with the perfect body, wearing perfect clothing and acting like the "perfect woman" and to become that, you must change yourself, or at least try your hardest. This is why, to this day, many women bleach their skins, starve themselves and take all sorts of risks to be "beautiful". [Via tranqualizer.tumblr.com]



 As you are today know that you're good enough. You're beautiful and you have no reason to hate your body because it's perfect as it is; with its fat, stretch marks, scars, blemishes,rolls, protruding bones and/or lack thereof. Anything else that you want to add or take out must be for your own pleasure. Nothing is ever enough when you're trying to please asystem that is built against you so how about loving what your body is, today? It's probably one of the hardest things to do, but it feels great!

What I just said might sound like an ode against change but it's really not. The changes I suggest are based on self love and self acceptance which to me are the best clothes anyone could wear.



Once you put them on, any other layer will look and feel great, to the person that matters the most - YOU. But I'm not telling you not to want to change your looks if you feel like. Only change because YOU feel like!



Now let's talk about the other layers: clothes, shoes, accessories, hair, ... Say you want to get a new look for the new year. Good! But where to start? If you want to make a radical change you might be tempted to throw every single thing away. It's a bad idea on so many levels especially the one where you gotta rebuild a new wardrobe from scratch. It's always best to start small with things like hair and accessories.



A hairstyle can make a dramatic difference in your looks. For example, going from short to long, or vice versa or colouring it. If you're going for an androgynous look, a short 'do can be very convenient since you can make it look girly one day, boyish one day through make up, accessories and such.
Saint Harridan’s via {tomboyfemme.tumblr.com}. that’s a hairstyle that can go both (or more) ways, short on the sides, longer on top! Colour is also a very interesting as it adds some spark to your mane! Also, if you go for bold colours, you will not go incognito, which is excellent.   I’m loving the bright colours!
 

What I like about accessories is that 1) they can be pretty cheap, 2) they add a edge to your wardrobe. That makes them perfect as you do not need a big investment to change your style. Which means, you can be a different person every day with the right ones!  For example, ties, bow ties, leather belts (genuine leather or pleather) and scarfs can be pretty neat if you're going for the "dapper andro" look. Check out {faintlymasculine.tumblr.com}, Androgynous Fashion’s facebook page.  

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The right earrings will make you look like the "queen babe" that you are. A beanie here, some bracelets there, and you're good to go, artsy lady boi!  Take a look at Rachel Stewart Jewelry via rachelstewartjewelry.com, Jesse Boykins III and Melo-X via {soundrotation.blogspot.com}, {dapperq.com}, {colorfulcuties.tumblr.com} .  Those are just examples, of course!
 

If you choose to buy clothing, I recommend second hand one. I know, they have bad reputation but there are also very nice shops. My favorite one is Fruitcake, by FashionKapitol (130 Pritchard street, JHB CBD).

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Actually, check out everyone in Fashion Kapitol, the designers there are amazing! {Fruitcake Vintage’s Facebook Page}



Also, a few inspiring looks from beautiful people here and there!

Check out: {urbnlgnd.tumblr.com, faintlymasculine.tumblr.com} (yeah i love her, she’s perfect.),

Stay awesome

Steph!